Alectown, New South Wales

Alectown
New South Wales
Alectown
Coordinates 32°56′0″S 148°14′30″E / 32.93333°S 148.24167°E / -32.93333; 148.24167Coordinates: 32°56′0″S 148°14′30″E / 32.93333°S 148.24167°E / -32.93333; 148.24167
Population 201 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 2870
Location
  • 382 km (237 mi) WNW of Sydney
  • 97 km (60 mi) SW of Dubbo
  • 24 km (15 mi) N of Parkes
LGA(s) Parkes Shire
State electorate(s) Orange
Federal Division(s) Calare

Alectown is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is on the Newell Highway and in the Parkes Shire local government area, 382 kilometres (237 mi), west north west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Alectown and the surrounding area had a population of 201 [1]

History

Originally known as Alecs Flat, the district was named after the three men who first prospected here - Alexander Cameron, Alexander Patton, and Alexander Whitelaw.[2]

It was originally a gold mining town which once had a population above 1,000. Bachelors Rush Post Office opened on 1 May 1888 and was renamed Alicktown in 1889 and Alectown in 1891. It closed in 1983.[3] Today, only 2 Churchs and some residences remain in the town.

Telescope

Alectown is the actual address of the Parkes Radio Telescope operated by the CSIRO, the largest radio telescope in Australia, which is used for both theoretical research and on NASA projects including the moon landings.

Notable residents

Christmas at Alectown, 1910s, by A B Unger.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Alectown (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Alectown, New South Wales". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
  4. ↑ "Ken’s amazing contribution". Champion Post. 2 Oct 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2016.


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